Find out how popular the last name Richardson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Richardson.

Richardson, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Richardson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Richardson in America

Richardson is the 80th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Richardson surname appeared 259,798 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 88 people would have the surname Richardson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Richardson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Richardson

The surname Richardson has its origins in the northern regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Northumberland, where it first emerged during the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "ric" meaning powerful or wealthy and "harding" meaning hardy or firm, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname were influential or hardy individuals.

The Richardson name can be traced back to several early records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears in various spellings such as Richardsone and Rychardson. These early variations reflect the regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling during that era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Richardson surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where a certain Willelmus Richardsone is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland from 1279, which mentions a Johannes Richardeson.

Several notable individuals have borne the Richardson surname throughout history. Sir Thomas Richardson (1569-1635) was an English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles I. Another notable figure was Samuel Richardson (1689-1761), an English novelist and one of the earliest practitioners of the epistolary novel genre, best known for his works "Pamela" and "Clarissa."

The Richardson name has also been associated with several place names, such as Richardson's Cross in Yorkshire, which dates back to the 13th century, and Richardson's Booth in Lancashire, which was mentioned in records from the 16th century.

Other notable individuals with the Richardson surname include Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-1983), a renowned English actor known for his stage and film performances, and Sir Lewis Richardson (1881-1953), a mathematician and meteorologist who made significant contributions to the study of fractals and chaos theory.

The Richardson surname has endured through the centuries, with numerous bearers leaving their mark across various fields, from law and literature to the performing arts and sciences. Its rich history and varied origins reflect the diverse and influential nature of those who have carried this name throughout the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Richardson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Richardson.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Richardson was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Richardson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Richardson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Richardson, please contact us.

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